"...How rare. I never thought the iron tree would have a day it could blossom."
Shandris watched the slightly restless Andreas and complained, "It truly pays to live a long time. I've certainly broadened my horizons."
Andreas' mouth twitched. "So, what is your opinion?"
"Of course I agree."
Shandris leaned lazily against Andreas' chest, reaching up to draw circles on his chest as she chuckled. "Even a blind man could see Celeste's feelings for you. I can't believe you had the nerve to leave her hanging for thousands of years. If DathRemar knew about this in the afterlife, he'd probably jump out of the underworld and kill you."
"Sigh~"
Andreas smiled bitterly and leaned back onto the sofa. "Because I can't get past the hurdle in my own heart. This isn't fair to you or Celeste..."
Shandris stopped Andreas' unspoken words with her finger. "Don't talk about fairness. When you sit in your position, what is there left to be fair or unfair about? You aren't worried about public gossip, are you?"
"Hmm... A little bit, yes. I don't know how the populace will view this matter."
Although the Night Elves did not explicitly mandate monogamy in their laws, Andreas had indeed rarely seen polygamous or polyandrous families in the past seven thousand years.
As the Chief Executive of the Night Elf Republic and the Speaker of the High Council, Andreas didn't know if marrying a second wife would be interpreted as openly encouraging polygamy... At the very least, Tyrande would definitely seize this opportunity to make trouble.
"Walk your own path and let others talk."
Shandris rolled her eyes, subconsciously uttering a famous quote from Lu Xun.
"It would be foolish to keep worrying about the opinions of others and disappoint Celeste, who has been waiting for you all this time. I refuse to believe that after so many years together, you have no feelings for Celeste at all."
"Uh..."
Andreas awkwardly turned his head, and Shandris seized the chance to grab the soft flesh at his waist and twist it ninety degrees.
"Ah~"
As Andreas gasped in pain, Shandris smiled and patted his chest. "Alright, that counts as your punishment. It's a good thing for a Night Elf to have more family accompany them throughout their long lives. Go on, don't disappoint me."
...When Andreas knocked on Celeste's door, he was embarrassed to find that Onyxia, Leticia, and Aurora were also gathered there.
Onyxia, who had just returned from inspecting Moonlit City, looked back and forth at Andreas' unnatural expression, then revealed a look of sudden understanding and amusement.
"Leticia, Aurora, we should go back and rest."
"Huh?" Leticia asked, confused. "So early? It's clearly only..."
"Let's go! Are we going to stand here and be Arcane light bulbs?"
Leticia: "???"
Leticia, who was oblivious to romance, was full of question marks, but Aurora, who loved art and romance, figured out what was happening, giggling as she and Onyxia pulled the bewildered Leticia away.
As she passed Andreas, Aurora mischievously nudged his waist with her elbow.
"Go for it, Dad~ I'm on your side this time. I'll help explain and intercede with Mom for you."
When Aurora was very young, Celeste had patiently cared for her growth. The "self-defense techniques" and interesting Arcane tricks she later learned were also taught by Celeste.
To the young and naive Aurora, Celeste, who took meticulous care of her, was a better fit for the image of a mother than the strict and busy Shandris.
Onyxia left Andreas with a knowing, profound look as she brushed past him.
The nervous Celeste had no mind to pay attention to anyone else's expressions. How could someone as intelligent as her not realize that the opportunity she had waited thousands of years for had finally arrived?
After the trio noisily left, Andreas stiffly walked into the room.
"Um... well, the weather is nice today."
Celeste's initial nervousness was completely dispelled by this awkward transition; she suddenly burst into laughter.
"Come over and sit down first."
Boldly walking forward to take Andreas' hand, Celeste led her "Uncle Andreas" to sit on the sofa.
With the woman being so proactive, Andreas, who was experienced, quickly shed his internal nervousness.
"Celeste, you must have guessed why I'm here."
Andreas solemnly faced the blushing Celeste and asked, "I apologize for making you wait so long. Will you marry me?"
Celeste: "..."
Pouting, Celeste was slightly aggrieved. "Just like that?"
As someone who had cared for Aurora since she was small, Celeste had been exposed to and understood quite a bit of the romantic sentiment shared among artists. Andreas' straightforward proposal left her a little disappointed.
"Hmm..."
Andreas scratched his head awkwardly. "I didn't receive an artistic education since childhood like Aurora did. I can't say too many mushy things. What I pursue is enduring affection that comes naturally and flows like a steady stream."
"I am just such a boring person. If you think..."
"I do!"
Celeste snorted lightly, cutting off Andreas' words. "After thousands of years together, do I not know what kind of person you are? Having excessive expectations for you was just me overthinking things."
..."Heh heh~"
At the wedding venue in Moonshadow Manor, Tyrande looked at Andreas with a strange expression, her mouth twitching as she forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Speaker Moonshadow, you are certainly old in age but young at heart."
Andreas raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So the High Priestess thinks she is old in age and old in heart? I recall you being quite happy when the teacher was around."
"You!"
Maiev slammed the table heavily. "Enough! It's a joyous occasion, both of you say less."
"Andreas' behavior does not violate the laws of the Night Elf Republic. Others have no right to criticize his private life."
Due to Celeste's proactive suggestion, Andreas did not hold a grand wedding ceremony for his second marriage, only inviting a small circle of friends to his manor to bear witness.
Although he and Tyrande disliked each other, they were colleagues who had worked together for many years in the same Government Affairs Hall, and considering Malfurion's relationship, it wasn't appropriate to exclude her.
Although it couldn't compare to Shandris' wedding, which was celebrated almost nationwide, the large manor genuinely hosted many friends and relatives. Even Navaz, who was stationed far away in Northrend, managed to take time off to attend.
Although the wedding was low-key, the news of Speaker Moonshadow marrying a second wife still spread, sparking considerable discussion across all sectors of the Night Elf Republic.
Although Andreas was aware of this, he did not come forward to offer an explanation. Such matters only get worse the more you try to explain them; it was better to simply let the issue cool down.
In order to temporarily avoid the center of discussion, Andreas decided to take his family on a trip that had been prepared long ago.
"Let's set off. Destination: Azsuna."